Confusion Reigns Over COVID-19 Vaccine Access as CDC Advisers Meet

Sun Oct 12 2025 02:14:21 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices continues to debate vaccine access amidst rising COVID-19 cases, many are left grappling with new guidelines and restrictions for vaccinations.

The ongoing meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee has sparked significant confusion and frustration among the public regarding access to COVID-19 vaccines. Recent restrictions recommend eligibility limited to high-risk individuals, leaving many unclear about their vaccination status. Medical experts urge broad access amidst the confusion, emphasizing the importance of understanding the recommendations, especially for vulnerable populations.

ATLANTA (AP) — Access to COVID-19 shots is the big question as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new vaccine advisers meet again Friday, after putting off a controversial vote on a different vaccine for newborns.

People in many states already are reporting frustration as they try to determine, or prove, if they qualify for updated COVID-19 vaccines — even as infections have climbed over the past month.

The Food and Drug Administration recently put new restrictions on this year’s shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, reserving them for people over 65 or younger ones who are deemed at higher risk from the virus. Now advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have to take the next step, recommending who should seek them, a move that influences insurance coverage and how pharmacists in certain states can administer them.

Unclear is whether the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which Kennedy stocked with members critical of coronavirus vaccination, will urge additional curbs.

“We’re anxiously awaiting what’s going to happen,” said Dr. Phil Huang, a family physician who directs the Dallas County health and human services department. The panel’s decisions especially affect low-income families who receive shots through federally funded health programs but, he added, “it’s causing just a lot of confusion” for the public.

The panel opened the second day of its meeting with continued confusion over a question it left hanging Thursday — whether to end a longstanding CDC recommendation that all newborns be vaccinated at birth against a liver virus, hepatitis B.

Many health experts worry about the potential impacts of restricting access to vaccines, especially as the ongoing threat from COVID-19 looms. According to CDC data, the virus resulted in 32,000 to 51,000 deaths and over 250,000 hospitalizations during the previous fall and winter, predominantly affecting seniors and unvaccinated children.

Amid these uncertainties, leading medical groups have recommended that the vaccines should remain available to anyone aged 6 months and older, including pregnant women, similar to guidelines from previous years. Several states have announced measures to ensure access to vaccines regardless of the committee's decisions. Meanwhile, health insurers have committed to continue covering vaccinations through 2026.

As the debate continues, clarity and accessibility of vaccination resources remain paramount for public health.